‘Little House on the Prairie’ star dies
Merlin Olsen, a former American football hero who later found fame on telly series ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and ‘Father Murphy’, has died of cancer at the age of 69.
The actor was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a very rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, in 2009 and had undergone several rounds of chemotherapy.
Melissa Gilbert, his co-star in ‘Little House’, has posted a message to fans, saying, “Just heard about the passing of Merlin Olsen. I am so sad. My heart goes out to his dear family. He was one of the sweetest, kindest men I have ever known. The personification of the Gentle Giant. Forever now, a guardian angel.”
Merlin played NFL football in the early 1960s before becoming a sports commentator in 1976. Eventually, he landed the royal of Michael Landon's sidekick Jonathan Garvey on ‘Little House’ and then headlined his own series, ‘Father Murphy’.
Following his cancer diagnosis, Merlin sued NBC and 20th Century Fox for exposing him to the asbestos, but the legal action was still pending at the time of his death.
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